Sports fan with cerebral palsy sees OKC Thunder exhibition in his first live game

BY CARY ASPINWALL World Staff Writer
Saturday, October 20, 2012
10/20/12 at 7:00 AM

Ever the firstborn princess of persuasion in her family, attorney Rania Nasreddine sat her mother and father down and stated her case.

"We're going to take Adam to the game," she said.

The Oklahoma City Thunder was coming to Tulsa's BOK Center to play the Phoenix Suns in an NBA preseason game, and Nasreddine wanted to buy courtside seats for her brother Adam, the biggest sports fan who'd never attended a pro game.

"Are you crazy?" her mother responded.

Adam Nasreddine is a smart, sweet 25-year-old, and he's lived since birth with cerebral palsy, a disorder affecting brain and nerve function. He uses a wheelchair to get around and has severely limited speech ability. Like many with cerebral palsy, routine is an essential part of his day.

And for every day of those 25 years, that routine has involved his mother and father, Ghada and Adel Nasreddine. His mother is always with him, for classes with teachers at their home, appointments with doctors and therapists, and his daily hours of watching sports on TV (involving multiple screens).

Every day at the same time, his parents take him out for mashed potatoes at one of several favorite local restaurants. It's their routine.

But Rania, the headstrong overachiever who just made partner at her law firm at age 32, was determined to shake things up. She wanted her baby brother to see a real, live NBA basketball game. Not just on TV.

Worst-case scenario: She would be out a hefty chunk of change on the tickets. But for her brother, she was willing to gamble.

"The biggest injustice is that he can't play sports in the first place," she said. "Adam should be able to go to a real game."

Wrestling

To ease her parents' fears, Rania proposed a dry run: A friend offered box seats for WWE Smackdown wrestling at the BOK Center a few weeks ago, so they could see how Adam would do in a large crowd with loud noises and unfamiliar faces and no Mom and Dad around.

Rania's younger sister, Jessica Nasreddine, and Jessica's boyfriend, Hooby Yoon, were also in on the plan.

Mom and Dad would get the night off, Rania determined. Yoon would drive the van.

Just let us try it, she pleaded.

"We live in Tulsa, one of the nicest cities on the planet," she argued. "What's the worst thing that could happen?"

It's not that the Nasreddines don't trust their daughters, they explained.

But when you're a parent of a special-needs child, you're trying to protect all your children. You know how hard it is to wrangle wheelchairs in and out of vans. You know the hazards of curbs and parking lots and crowds and changes to routine. You know the intrusive stares and how your son's social anxiety led to an education at home after trying a few years at public school.

But you also know that you will not live forever. Someday, Adam will need his sisters for more than just socializing and sporting events.

"There's the mental relief that 10 years down the road ..." Adel Nasreddine said. "You hope as a parent that they will go on."

So the parents gave in, and their daughters took their brother to watch WWE Smackdown. Mom and Dad sat by the phone, just in case.

But the best thing happened: Adam loved it. He smiled the whole night, Rania said.

He continues to beam brightly whenever he's asked about his WWE adventure.

Whenever anyone would ask about the upcoming Thunder game, he would wiggle in his chair and his face would light up. He could hardly wait.

The big night

There's nothing quite like the courtside view of a basketball game.

No high-definition television could compare to sitting inches from your favorite players, hearing their sneakers squeak across the court and their trash talk under the basket. You sit under the flashing lights, feel the applause shake your seats and witness exactly how short the Thunder dancers' hot pants are. You can see the gleam of the orange patent leather swoosh on Kevin Durant's sneaker when he jumps.

This is where Adam sat Friday night, next to his sisters and Yoon, dancing, laughing and clapping all night as the Thunder defeated the Phoenix Suns.

"How cool is this?" Rania asked him. "You're like that guy who sits courtside. You're like Jack Nicholson!"

Mom and Dad offered to drive, but the siblings said no.

The sisters even sneaked Adam some Diet Coke, which he doesn't normally get to have.

"What parents? Whoo hoo!" they laughed.

Rania held his hand and danced to "Party Rock Anthem." Jessica showed him pictures she'd taken on her iPhone.

Early in the game, Durant snagged a rebound and sank a swift 3-pointer in front of the largest crowd at the BOK Center.

Adam went wild, just like everyone else.
Original Print Headline: A game for Adam

Cary Aspinwall 918-581-8477
cary.aspinwall@tulsaworld.com

Associated Images:

Adam Nasreddine and his sisters, Rania Nasreddine (center) and Jessica Nasreddine, cheer as players take the BOK Center floor Friday at the Oklahoma City Thunder exhibition game against Phoenix. The basketball game was the first one Adam Nasreddine, who lives with cerebral palsy and is a huge sports fan, has ever attended. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World

Jessica Nasreddine (left) hands her brother, Adam Nasreddine, his ticket to the Oklahoma City Thunder exhibition game as they enter the BOK Center on Friday evening. Looking on are their older sister, Rania Nasreddine, and Jessica's boyfriend, Hooby Yoon. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World

Adam Nasreddine and his sisters hold hands during the game. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World

Adam and Rania Nasreddine watch the action in the Oklahoma City Thunder's exhibition game Friday from their courtside seats. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World

Adam Nasreddine (seated), Hooby Yoon, Rania Nasreddine and Jessica Nasreddine prepare to enter the BOK Center for the game Friday. Adam's sister Rania was adamant about persuading their parents to give up Adam's routine so her brother the sports fan could watch a live game. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World